


Paperman

by nyahchatnoir



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney's Paperman (Video Short), Inside Out (2015), Pixar - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Paperman (2012) Fusion, F/M, Humor, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-09-16
Packaged: 2018-04-08 22:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4323045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyahchatnoir/pseuds/nyahchatnoir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day is Friday the 13th, and it is sure to be nothing but hell for Bill Jitters... Or is it? Weird. Who knew that just a day, a subway connection, and a bunch of paper airplanes could end up making someone feel so much joy? A Fear/Joy AU of "Paperman." Lots of angst, some humor, and eventual fluff. A dash of Anger/Disgust.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 6:35 A.M.

What began as an ordinary day for everyone else, could only be seen by one human as disastrous with either humiliation or death being the only possible outcome. It was as set in stone as his actual gravestone, already sure to be in production. Sad, right?

Basically, though the morning was sure to be nothing but completely, nay, utterly mundane for virtually one hundred percent of the entire human population; unfortunately, for one very awkward man, today was sure to be irrefutably nothing but pure “step on a crack, you break your mother’s back”, unadulterated hell.

And so we begin.

* * *

 

Friday the 13th – 6:35 A.M.

* * *

 

The day was welcomed by the chaotic ringing of a cellphone alarm.

_“Triple dent gum will make you smile, Triple dent gum- it’ll last a while!”_

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH OH MY GOD,” came the scream of a thirty-something year old man, who grasped blindly at his chest, before gripping terrified at his lavender bedsheets, “JUST WHAT KIND OF DEMONIC CRAP IS THIS?”

He quickly threw the covers over his face, already continuing to wail. He curled in on himself. Whimpering audibly, he huddled beneath his blankets, his body shaking in wild shivers. Ever since he was a young child the man had been prone to night terrors, and because of the day’s date, he had awoken from an especially terrible one, so the aftereffects and adrenaline rush of it all was still managing to get to him; the shrill sound of his screams only seeming to ring throughout the man’s somewhat cramped, yet tolerably sized, San Francisco apartment which, unfortunately for him, also meant his entire apartment building.

“F-Find a happy place, find a happy place-”

“DAMMIT BILL, SHUT UP!”

That was the moment that a middle-aged Bill Jitters suddenly paused with a dreadfully fearful look in his eyes. Then, they turned sorrowful. He swallowed hollowly from his bed, and gently lowered his blanket. Turning back on his pillow to glance guiltily at his headboard, the man tightened his fists around the edge of his covers and yelled “S-Sorry Red!” through the wall to his hotheaded neighbor.

As always, the sincerity that was in his voice floored the elder man, and he slurred, fully annoyed, but eventually grumbled a curse word in reply.

“O-Okay, you can do this Bill,” the man in question murmured, physically shaking in his mattress, “You are alert, and you are prepared. You are the man, and you are ready for anything!”

… What was the risk of a meteor shower, again?

Pointedly, the man ignored the pull of the dark rings which weighed down the skin beneath his gaze. Bags; it was the sign for insomniacs everywhere. Just a bunch of grey and black anxiety-induced lines/blemishes that expressed just how truly exhausted and how not ready for anything he actually was for life… God, he sucked at pep talks.

Bill let out a long groan.

Suddenly, he felt as if everything would come crashing down on him today. Yep, it was certain; he was undeniably sure of it! This Friday the 13th, forever codenamed DOOMSDAY, would be a freaking disaster. An utter monstrosity! He could feel it in his bones, and he knew it in his gut.

All Bill could do was groan exhaustedly toward the sky, as he mildly arched his back and stretched lazily across his comforter. Still, his fingers lightly shook. Feeling sluggish, he managed to drag himself out of bed and crept tiredly toward his kitchen. A strangled, half dead yawn left him.

Bill immediately sighed, resignedly stepping across the tanned floorboards of his apartment. As the man passed through his modest dining room, he wearily peeped out of his apartment window to see that the San Francisco sky was bright and sunny, and that there was not a single cloud in sight. Thank goodness; it appeared that rain was not even remotely in the forecast today. He felt his mood lighten somewhat.

Wonderful! Bill felt himself faintly smile. At least he would not have to worry about getting caught in the rain or slipping in a puddle today…

Continuing on into his kitchen, Bill heard his stomach rumble. A quiet laugh escaped him. Silently rejoicing at the fact that he was all alone, the grown man placed a complacent hand on his tummy and gently gave it a few pats.

“Yeah, yeah. I hear ya little guy. Eggs it is.”

Thinking about the deliciousness that is eggs, the man opened up the pantry above his stove and reached inside, mindlessly pulling out the salt. He squealed when he accidentally dropped it, and salt spilled out all over the floor.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no-“

The man hurriedly bent down and began picking up pinches of salt, quickly throwing the grains over his shoulder over and over again for extra protection.

“I cannot get bad luck. Oh, _please_ let this be the only bad thing that happens today!”


	2. 6:35 A.M. (Again?)

Friday the 13th – 6:35 A.M.

The Same Morning.

* * *

 

“This is it, this is it!”

Waking up with a large smile on her face, Joy jokingly rocked out to the cheerful tune of her ringtone as the sound of it rang throughout her small apartment. It was the same Triple Dent gum jingle that she had been listening to since she was in high school.

_“Triple dent gum will make you smile, Triple dent gum- it’ll last a while! Triple dent gum will help you mister to punch that breath right in the kisser.”_

“ _Triple dent guuuum!_ Ah, I love it!” the young woman giggled, eagerly jumping out of bed.

To say that she was simply excited would have been a major understatement. She was ecstatic; ready to get to work and ready to get back into the ring, because she was a lawyer, dammit! After taking her short leave of absence, the only thing that the woman wanted was a second opportunity to fight for what was right. She wanted to fight for the people; to help the people. The smile on her face was unstoppable, because today was the woman’s first interview with a new potential law firm, and Joy Dee Light could barely reign in her enthusiasm.

“Triple dent gum- la, la, la,” Joy happily hummed, as she rummaged through her shoes, “Triple dent gum- do, da, da!”

Digging deeper into the pile, the woman swayed her hips along to the mental song that played within her mind. Mindlessly, she threw the unwanted pairs behind her. Nope, nada, zilch; why would I buy that? Uh-uh. What? As if!

Eventually Joy cheered, pulling out a slim and beautiful black pair of pumps. “Eureka!”

“Gotta look good for the exec!” she enthused, sashaying out of her closet.

The woman sauntered back into her bedroom, stopping only to pause in her doorway and stare adoringly at the dress that she had laid out carefully over the end of her bed the night before.

“Mindy really outdid herself. Gosh, it’s so beautiful… I mean, seriously, this seriously has to be one of the best dresses that I have ever s-“

Suddenly, her phone began to ring.

Joy paused, before suddenly laughing and mouthing along with it, as she hopped across her room to pick up her cell phone.

_“Triple dent gum will make you smile, Triple dent gum- it’ll last a while!”_

“Well speak of the devil.”

Joy clicked the ‘ok’ button and raised the piece of technology up to her ear, singing, “ _Triple dent guuuuum!_ Oh, hello there Mindy. What’s up?”

Her friend only scoffed at her through the line, forcing a serious edge into her voice. Ever the perfectionist as usual, Joy silently mused from her side of the line.

“Are you wearing the dress I made you?” Mindy immediately questioned, airily glancing down at her finely manicured nails, “You know that I would be upset if you wore _anything_ less than _perfection_.”

Joy could hear the minor threat that was hidden in the younger woman’s words, and she physically swallowed down at her sudden slight trepidation.

Enthusiastically, she chirped with a toothy smile, “Yep, and I was just about to change into it! The dress is absolutely beautiful, too. Thank you so much for tailoring it for me. I cannot imagine how long it must have taken you to make it.“

“Yes, well it did take a while… but only the best for you Joy.”

Joy heard the sincerity in Mindy’s voice and cheekily giggled, tactfully musing, “Ya know, it is still so amazing how we are both such good platonic friends with Red; San Francisco’s resident hot ass. I mean, just who would have imagined that such a big brute like him could ever have a pair of such beautiful, intelligent, and very eligible women as his best friends, huh? I can’t believe that we met through him though. Hey, remember how angry he got at us last weekend?”

“When he was stomping around the apartment like a big baby?”

“And pouting like a child-”

“Cursing at the sky-“

“Dammit Joooooy!” Joy yelled, guffawing loudly through her speaker.

The pair of women then laughed together, until Mindy took on a slightly embarrassed tone, and she awkwardly cleared out her throat, before audibly choking down an indignant noise from her side of the call.

“Well the man is not that bad Joy… Although, he is sort of temperamental... And loud… And humongous. But really, all Redford truly needs to do is just shave that long, overgrown and orangey-red beard off of his face, so that he will finally have some women interested in him-“

“Women like you,” Joy helpfully quipped.

The short, dark haired woman could only let out a low groan at that, before she felt utterly flustered, abruptly faltering over her words.

“N-Not that I’m saying I like him.”

Joy laughed, “And he’s also the reason why I am now the owner of such a lovely and gorgeous dress-“

“Psssh Joy, just _what_ kind of person are you making me out to be? L-Like I would _ever_ go and make you a dress just so that I could get in Red’s good graces. I m-mean, we’re friends Joy… You _do_ know that we’re friends, right?”

Joy could practically hear Mindy’s shoulders sag in submission, and the girl’s souring tone combined with her sad question made Joy smile softly. She felt her heart tighten. Though the two women had only been getting to know each other for the past few months, the pair was quickly becoming bonded, almost like sisters, and it made the older woman feel somewhat guilty for playfully teasing Mindy.

“Aw, I know that we’re friends Min-Min, which is exactly why I will be seeing you this Saturday! I am buying, so hopefully I can snag this job just so I can afford it.”

Mindy laughed, gradually becoming eased by Joy’s assurance even if she still was not too used to having a female friend to talk to… As an outcast, the woman had never really had that many friends over the years, but she was steadily becoming used to the comforts of having a female companion, her first real girl pal, and it was all thanks to Red. Unknown to him, he was the woman’s rock. Mindy’s red-headed hero in faintly fuming armor.

“And don’t worry,” Joy abruptly joked, sporting a cheshire-like grin since Mindy could not see her, “It’s okay buddy. I’ll make sure to talk you up to him. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure that he likes you too. Hmm… is it too early to say ‘marriage’?”

Mindy blushed, coughing embarrassedly into the phone.

“M-Marriage? Oh, Joy you can’t be serious!”

“You bet your pretty ass I am!”

“Y-You really think so?”

Joy grinned, “Of course! So you make sure you’ve got your partying shoes on for tomorrow. Whelp, I’ve gotta go now! Time to dress up all hot and sexy for this job interview-”

“You’re a dork,” Mindy smirked, “Still, I believe in you. Knock em’ dead Joy.”

“Got it! Also…” the lawyer trailed off.

Mindy paused.

Curiously, she asked, “Also, what Joy?”

It was a long moment of silence, before the woman in question finally sniggered evilly.

“Buh-bye future Mrs. Redford Hot.”

“Joooy!” Mindy cried, as the older woman finally hung up on her.

Joy stopped cold. Immediately, she began to chortle at her own hilarity, and grabbed at the dress, throwing it over her body.

A smile broke out across her features at its softness; the absolute yellowness of the fabric fitting nicely against her curves and hugging her in all of the right places. Her blue eyes brightened, as she took in her appearance through her bathroom mirror, quickly running into the kitchen to begin cooking herself a quick breakfast of eggs and toast.

“Eggs, eggs, eggs,” she muttered her appetite’s mantra, rapidly reaching into the pantry above her stove to pull out her seasonings.

Just as she was about to sit her container of salt onto the counter, her fingers clumsily slipped, and the tiny figure of glass fell onto the counter, spilling a few grains of salt.

“Oops, I’ve got this,” Joy rapidly piped, grabbing at the pieces of salt with the tips of her fingers before tossing them religiously over her shoulder, “Oh, you can’t get me world!”

The woman then confidently strode toward her fridge, sashaying her hips as she threw the bottom portion of it wide open. A wave of cold air hit her, and an artificial light from within the fridge glossed over her. Smiling, she bent at the waist to look inside.

“Jobless women just _can’t_ afford any bad luck today!”


	3. The Commute

“Watch out for cracks, watch out for cracks,” Bill muttered nervously, as he made his way down the busy San Francisco streets. He tried edging himself out of the way for some people, while simultaneously accidentally running himself into others, and he apologized the entire way, fluttering back and forth like a lost moth.

“Oops s-sorry,” he unhappily stuttered, awkwardly knocking into another man’s shoulder. The slightly younger gentleman quickly turned to him with a confused look, “I am so sorry sir, really. I didn’t mean to.”

The man’s brown eyes widened slightly, but he gave Bill an understanding smile.

“Oh, it’s okay, really. It could have happened to anyone.”

Bill stopped. He stared in wonder as the kind stranger turned away from him, throwing a tired hand up to his orange-red locks. He placed his other arm fondly around the blue-haired woman who walked beside him and hugged her in closer to his side.

“Now are you sure you know where you’re going, Dory?” Bill heard the man ask his companion, as the two adults finally went out of earshot. He smiled airily at their backs, suddenly happy for the pair’s obvious chemistry. They seemed happy together. He stared amused, as the girl confidently nodded in reply and moved a hand to point in one direction. She then stopped cold, before unsurely pointing in the other. The man’s shoulders dropped heavily in recognizable annoyance.

Bill could not help but let out a quiet chuckle. After a few seconds of standing still, silently allowing people to walk around him on both sides, he continued of his way, quietly stuffing his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. He swiftly made his way over to the very edge of the sidewalk, the side closest to the street shops, and trudged on. Work was sure to be hell for him today.

“Watch for cracks, watch for cracks,” he repeated his mantra frettingly, studiously studying the pavement before him, “My Mom does not need a broken back. She’s practically halfway there already.”

Suddenly noticing a large triangle shadow beneath him, Bill glanced upward, and his eyes widened in horror. He saw the seat of a ladder.

He was standing in between the bottom split of a high step ladder. Bill’s mouth opened up into a drawn-out, strangled scream, “Ohoooho my god.”

His voice came out in a raspy whisper, “This is the end of me. It is. This is seriously the freaking end.”

When his dark gaze dropped back down, Bill caught the gaping stare of the painter who was just about to use his ladder, and he instantly felt like running away. Still, he took in a few breaths and managed to calm his ever-growing heart rate. Nodding politely over to the worker, he pointedly stepped out from under the piece of equipment and made his way down the sidewalk.

A slight chill ran down his back.

“Well,” he mused hopefully, speaking with a fake sense of cheerfulness. Nervously, he straightened his jacket, “Surely this is the end of my bad luck, right?”

A single cat covered in nothing but pitch black fur hurriedly crossed in front of him, skillfully making its way toward a smelly alleyway. Probably in search of a mouse or something, the slim feline had come from out of nowhere and unknowingly left a hollow feeling in Bill’s gut. Now, the brown-haired man almost felt like crying out in frustration.

“I really need to learn how to knock on wood.”

* * *

 

“Papers, papers, papers,” Joy rambled hotly, as she aimlessly made her way down the sidewalk.

In the woman’s hands was a daunting stack of paperwork that she struggled to keep upright. With one hand, she held the stack securely to her chest, and she flipped through the first few pages with the other. Her heels clicked steadily down the pavement as she softly lofted through her things. A firm frown slowly formed its way across her pretty features.

“What time was that train again?” she asked herself, anxiously patting down all of her pockets with one hand in search of her phone.

Joy stumbled awkwardly in her heels, suddenly realizing that she had foolishly left it at home. An unhappy curse left her lips. Then another one. Then a whole stream of small utterances that followed her as she began to trudge on down the road.

Taking another haughty step, Joy stopped cold when a random black cat came running out of an alleyway, expeditiously crossing her path. Taken aback, her bright blue eyes widened, and she began to walk faster down the sidewalk, accidentally bumping into people and awkwardly apologizing the entire way.

“I did not just run into a black cat. I am okay. I am completely fine-“

“Watch it!”

“S-Sorry.”

Fumbling anxiously with her papers, Joy inadvertently heard a man talking about how he was late, and she felt the urge to start jogging, holding the papers up tightly to her breast; and so she did.

Once Joy finally managed to clear through most of the crowd, she began to run at a full sprint, huffing exhaustedly, as she practically coddled her resume and past case files.

The humdrum of early morning commuters and of the noise of the crowded, busy streets was her soundtrack, as the short-haired woman subconsciously attempted to beat the clock, whatever the clock truly was. Oh right, the train; the inner city subway system, which would bring her within walking distance of her next potential law firm. That train.

Suddenly, Joy remembered which time she needed to catch. The woman quickened her pace, heaving deeply as she eventually saw the subway station growing closer in the distance, clicking loudly. Her youthful face immediately brightened.

“Oh, c’mon Joy, you can do this!” she heard herself cry out in encouragement, “Just a little bit further and you’ll make it.“

Grasping tightly onto all of her records, the tall, strong woman clip-clopped toward the subway platform, determinedly running in her shiny black high tops. Her brows narrowed seriously, and she wheezed out in exhaustion. Still, she forced herself to continue on, as she uncaringly felt the breeze that was created by her own speed picking up her skirts. No, that was not on her mind; catching the correct train was.

Out of the blue, one of Joy’s feet began to slowly fall behind, and she winced in realization. A sticky sensation had her hobbling forward like a lopsided maniac.

“Gum, I’ve got gum on my shoe!” Joy let herself wail painfully, instantly feeling a sick grimace come onto her face the mere thought of the icky, chewed up substance ever sticking to her person. Sure, Joy loved her Triple Dent gum – she would always be the first to recommend it to anyone – but gum was meant to be chewed and swallowed, not chewed and thrown out on the pavement for an innocent bystander to step in.

“Oh no!” she cried despairingly.

Joy whimpered pitifully, while continuing to dutifully carry her papers and rush with a visible limp. With her heels clicking, the usually chipper woman felt like screaming. She desperately tried to shake off the offending substance as she approached the subway station, wobbling precariously all of the way with her papers still in hand. A tired breath escaped her.

_Click, click, click, click._

Joy sprinted into the mildly crowded station and haphazardly skid into a wild, stand-still hault. Breathing in and out heavily, the woman raised a shaking hand up to her hair and patted it down, attempting to tame her wild tresses. She quickly scraped the bottom of her shoe against the concrete blow her and felt a victorious grin overtake her at the riddance of the gooey gum.

Feeling breathless, Joy saw that there was a second person beside her. Perfect!

“What’s the time?” she heard herself wheeze, as she rapidly tried to straighten out her papers.

Under her breath, Joy mumbled, “Who’s frazzled? I’m not frazzled. I am perfectly fine and dandy-“

Her eyes moved up, and she realized that she should have not been talking, as the man that she had just asked for the time from was staring at her strangely, his brows rising up his forehead. His careful eyes then squinted in mild suspicion. Joy felt her heart jump in surprise at the man, and her face flushed hotly, but it was not the embarrassment that had her heart beating erratically in her brand new sunny yellow dress and pumps. It was the man’s eyes; Mr. tall, dark, kind of lanky, but still handsome.


	4. First Meetings

Bill felt like mentally screaming. He could literally not believe his luck when he finally saw the subway platform, allowing himself to give a faint smile, before it was suddenly dashed when he ended up stepping on a wad of sticky white gum. An agitated groan left him.

"Really universe? Really?" he dejectedly cried.

Bill frowned deeply and exasperatedly inspected the substance. His eyes narrowed in hateful acknowledgement. He sighed regrettably at the universe, which seemed to have a problem with him. The fidgety man could already tell what the offending stickiness was.

To have such a long-lasting stretchiness and a blindingly bright sheen, the culprit could have only been one thing: Triple Dent Gum. However, Triple Dent Gum had never seemed so smooshed and gross to him before. He growled angrily.

"Just great," Bill spit at the sticky gunk and hurriedly attempted to wipe the ick off of his shoe.

Huffing irately, the now haughty man trudged on, sullenly edging toward the platform. He felt his eyebrows furrow, as a certain sadness entered his gut. His shoulders drooped, and his confidence further deflated. The man's darkish gaze became melancholic. Would his life ever work in his favor? Was the man doomed to living a life of constant fear and embarrassment?

As Bill slowly climbed up the stairway, he placed his shaking hand upon the rail beside him and used the hard surface as a way to stabilize his balance. He took in a sharp breath. Gradually, the tired man eventually managed to pull himself up the precipitously daunting stairs. He let out a small noise of irritation.

Bill sighed, quickly tightening his grip around the black briefcase that he held in his left hand. His knuckles whitened considerably.

"Maybe I can make it through the day without any more mishaps… Right?"

The weary question left his lips, and he stared hollowly at the empty track sitting a few feet before him. In the back of his mind, the man thought about jumping. Sure, it was a useless thought. He was too scared to purposefully injure himself like that…

Within his heart, Bill felt like crying in pity for himself. His chest tightened painfully. It was tough living the life of a scaredy-cat, especially when it just _felt_ like _nothing_ would ever go right for him. It hurt.

Bill continued to stare. The sight of the lonely train track in front of him was absolutely transfixing. For some unknown reason, the rails seemed utterly hollow in their emptiness. It entranced his senses. The image was simply spellbinding.

Taking in a deep breath to let out an exhausted sigh, Bill mentally jumped when the magic was abruptly swept out from under his feet by the unexpected sound of a woman speaking to him. His head instantly snapped over to his right, and he openly gawked at the woman who stood at the same height as him. Heck, she may have been a bit taller than him, actually. The man stilled. He allowed his mouth to drop into a slightly invisible 'o' shape, as he watched her wildly try to fix the stack of papers within her hands.

Bill stared considerably, as the offbeat woman huffed indignantly to herself and unexpectedly chose to mumble awkwardly beneath her breath, "Who's frazzled? I'm not frazzled. I am _perfectly_ fine and dandy."

 _No miss_ , he heard himself automatically reply in his head, _you are most definitely frazzled._

Bill cocked his brows noticeably at her display. He watched almost concernedly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, as the stranger queerly elevated her gaze to meet his, before she paused visibly. The blue haired woman instantly allowed a strangled noise to leave her throat.

Bill gawked at her sudden reaction, staring as the unknown woman's face enflamed with a dark redness. His first reaction was to reach out in an effort to help her, but he held his hand steadfast by his side, the twitch in his fingers being the only indication that he had wanted to help her at all. The man took in a worried breath and asked, "A-Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the weird woman flushed through her embarrassment, "J-Just please give me the time, thank you."

"Oh," Bill sighed outwardly and looked curiously down at his watch. He turned his eyes over to the obviously shaken woman and replied, "It's 8:33. There has not been a train yet… I just got here myself."

The stranger let out a grateful sigh and forced an awkward grin in Bill's direction. He sent her a mix between a grimace and an amused chuckle. Ever the gentleman, the older man could not help but let his eyes stray downward onto the pretty yellow dress that seemed to fit her curves, ever so nicely…

Bill blinked. The blue haired woman let out a breathy laugh. She reached up and blushingly placed a few short strands behind her ear.

"Thank you," was all she said, as she turned her gaze to stare firmly downward at the black heels which adorned her feet. Still, a hesitatingly awkward smile lit her features. She visibly calmed, but her hands tightened moderately around the thick stack of papers in her grasp. The woman's flush became a gentle simmer.

Bill gazed at her in silence, but nodded confusedly, and moved his stare to gaze conflictingly back at the track in front of him. A weird feeling settled in his gut. It was a feeling which forced his pulse to unexpectedly quicken, and he stilled in worry, his orbs instantaneously zoning in on the track, as he concentrated on the sensation that was steadily building within him.

A confused sigh left him.

As the pair waited in a short-lived silence, Bill could only feel his interest increasing. It was a sense of apprehensive notice that made him keep looking over at her, a gentle yet timid curiosity that only seemed to grow greater with every second. The brunette took in a small breath. He was completely unable to stop himself from continuously glancing out of the corner of his eye at the now much calmer woman. She stood there with a more controlled expression on her face, but he could see that the shy glances were being reciprocated. He noticed with a soft start that the flush would come back every time their eyes met, but her smile would also increase with every peek.

Bill felt an immediate pull to this woman. There was something oddly charming about her. She was tall but petite. Her shoulders stood tall and straight, a sign that eluded confidence, although her lapse of judgement had left her with an embarrassed tint on her cheeks. He watched, as she lipped a small grin. The man almost felt like grinning himself. Her lips were decorated in an alluring, shiny shade of red.

Although she showed the moderate signs of interest - at least Bill hoped so -, the man could not bring himself to say anything to her. It was as if an abrupt shyness had taken over his vocal chords, he thought to himself, and the sensation was unwilling to let him out of its' awkward, fumblingly tight grip. He struggled to make them work. A small sound left his lips.

The woman lifted her eyes and gave him a tiny smile. The sight of it fueled his courage a little and softly coerced him into opening his mouth to speak. A surprised gasp left him when the top paper on the stack suddenly wafted into the air and struck her on the face. The sheet held there for a long moment, as the stranger scrunched up her face from behind it, and Bill stared in openly in shock. He blinked dumbly and moved to steal the paper from her face. She still grimaced with her eyes firmly squeezed closed.

Apparently, one of the other trains that was traveling in the opposite direction of his workplace had passed by. The force of it coming to an abrupt halt had sent the lone piece of paper flying in the breeze. The sheet then struck her forcefully in the face.

Bill gently pulled the sheet off of her face. The stranger slowly cracked an eye, before the other fully opened. A short, girlish giggle-snort left her lips. She began to smile at her own misfortune, as her body wracked with giggles, and Bill stared in moderate wonder. His gaze queerly traveled over to the sheet of paper that was held in his hand. Then, a bubbly chuckle escaped him. The perky image of her lips was imprinted on it. His laughter soon turned into a disbelieving guffaw, as he quickly pointed at the paper, jokingly turning his eyes to give her a conspiring glance. The woman only smiled and shrugged her shoulders in response, but suddenly turned her head, as Bill went to stare humorously at the leaf of paper. When he turned to finally say something, the man could only give a dubious stare. She was gone.

"What-," Bill muttered and allowed his question to linger in the air, as he let his eyes travel up towards the train. He gasped. The woman was already walking through the aisle and was moving to sit down with a gentle grin on her face. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. He stared, as she went to once again straighten her papers. The woman looked up and met his gaze. She gave him a sheepish but content smile, and the train suddenly reared to life.

Just as the mode of transportation began to push forward, Bill felt his grip tighten around the abandoned sheet. He took a step. Then, he took another. Soon, the man found himself running toward the leaving train.

"Wait," he tried to yell but could not get the words out, "y-your paper-"

And then like that, the train and the unknown woman were gone.

Suddenly, Bill felt as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He felt all of his spirit leave him, as he stared utterly defeated at the track where her train had once been. His shoulders fell once more. When would life go right for him? Would he always be cursed with such unfortunate circumstances?

Gazing forlornly, he brokenly whispered, "I didn't even get her _name_."

Bill scoffed slightly and narrowed his eyelids. The man scowled. His orbs filled with a feeling of self-depreciation.

"You didn't even get her name," he mumbled again. The man sighed angrily, "Things like that only happen once in a lifetime, and you didn't even get her _name_."

All that the businessman could do was wait silently until his train arrived. He was too numb to do anything else.


	5. Going Through the (e)Motions

From the moment the beautiful stranger disappeared from Bill's sight, it seemed as if his entire world had went grey. Not that his life was not already terribly grey before, of course, but now it was a darker, far more strangled mix of black and white. It was as if whatever color was left in his universe had been virtually swept out from under him, like a rug, and the rest of the morning only continued as one big blur for him. A silent film, if you will, with nothing but the dull, back-and-forth shaking of the train cars moving tirelessly along their track, as they played as his soundtrack. The sound was only background noise for him, since he would have not cared anyway.

To be completely honest... the poor man should have just jumped in front on the subway like he had originally imagined. Although he was a coward through-and-through, the concept would have been easy enough. A single jump; just one, simple leap would have ended it all, and yet Bill had stayed in his spot. Why had he stayed in his spot? Had it been the innocent beauty of the tracks which stopped him? How suddenly lonely the rails seemed to the man during such a detrimental moment of weakness? Humph. It was utterly pitiful. He was pitiful.

Bill was such a stupid idiot... Only a man who had mental problems, suffering from a deep depression and a constant fear of everything, could consciously identify with an inanimate object. The thought of this made Bill feel ashamed at himself. He knew that, overall, he had nothing to fear as an adult. He was a thirty-something, almost middle-aged man for crying out loud! What did he have to be afraid of except for late payments? He did not even have a girlfriend to fret over, let alone anyone to care for in that matter, like a mother or a sibling. The brunette had been born an only child, and both of his parents died when he was in his late twenties. Virtually, Bill had no one. He had no one... He was alone in the universe.

But then she had walked into his life, like a bright beacon on a terrible, horrible day. If anything, the strange woman had been a sign from the Heavens that, perhaps, the universe did not hate him as much as he had previously thought. At least, Bill desperately hoped so. He was needing more and more reasons to hope nowadays. She had been an adorably awkward, almost otherworldly sign. The way he felt had been like a scene out of one of those cliched Hallmark dramas. Do you know the one where the main protagonist notices his female counterpart and gradually becomes entranced by her unwitting charm, only to have her disappear from within his grasp? Yeah. The same cliche _actually_ happened, and the man living it was none too thrilled to be at its mercy.

In his chest, Bill felt dull. He felt his mind go numb at the loss building within his heart, and his systems shut down, as a deep sameness took residence within his veins. His blood slowed, and he became instantly bored at his surroundings, yet the man still managed to continue throughout the morning, almost like clockwork. It began with him slowly placing the abandoned sheet of lip-stick stained paper into his briefcase. Then, it proceeded with the man aimlessly stepping aboard his train and falling dumbly into his seat. To which his head slumped into a downward tilt, and his lips morphed into a firm line, but his dark eyes could only stare forward, ever-large but somewhat dead inside. Long, chocolate brown lashes framed both orbs.

Staring with a blank expression was all that the poor temp could do; Bill was so lifeless. Afterwards, there was little else he did, besides the way he began to tighten his knuckles around his briefcase, as he slowly detected his heart breaking from within his chest. The organ could only crack further with each and every hard bump of the track. He felt so numb, like a useless dummy. He was a shell of himself. The man had been hollowed out far more than he had ever been before, and it was all thanks to the weighted yet incredible influence of the amazingly gorgeous stranger, who had asked for the time from him and smiled so flirtatiously in his direction. And still... her blue eyes had held such an innocence to them. It was an overwhelmingly deep sense of honestly that had his mind's eye constantly retrieving the memory and playing it on repeat in the tiny screen within his head. The sight of her would almost make him smile, if not for the sudden sadness which would overtake his mind once he thought of her ruby-lipped grin. Apparently, much to Bill's chagrin, two emotions were continuously battling it out inside his head - Joy and Sadness - and neither seemed to be winning, their feuding only managing to create a jumbled up mess of frustration and mild fear, as the two other emotions attempted to mellow out their polar-opposite counterparts. The last and final emotion, Disgust, could only wonder in the far reaches of his mind if the attractive female had actually been interested in him or not... Because he sure as hell was interested in her! Not that the fact mattered in the grand scheme of things, anyway.

The stranger was gone, and the idea of this made another wave of Sadness rush over Bill. The man was doomed to live a life of lame nothingness. A fitting existence for a terribly lonely and frightened man.

* * *

Bill was already spent by the time he finally arrived for his early-morning shift.

Walking steadfast into the temp agency where he was employed, the emotionally drained male sullenly made his way into the company elevator, and pushed a couple of buttons which brought him up to the eleventh floor where his desk was located, along with many other drones performing on stark-white sheets of copy paper. His grasp tightened around the handle of his briefcase. Stepping out onto the already packed work-floor, he self-consciously made his way toward his empty seat by the window and took off his suit jacket, quietly laying it inconspicuously on the back of his chair. He had _just_ managed to come in late this morning... Perfect. Another mark to go on his steadily growing record.

Looking up, Bill was immediately met by the sharp and narrowed eyes of his tyrant-like boss. Instantly, his shoulders cowered in on himself. The man above him merely grunted and threw down a tall stack off papers, before giving Bill a second no-nonsense glare. The younger man gulped, nodded worriedly at his boss's back, and stared with wide eyes, as his employer haughtily stalked his way into his office.

Bill was left in a constricted silence. Wearily, he placed a shaking hand over the first paper in the stack and used his other hand to pull out a pencil. The man paused. All of the thoughts that were whirring around in his brain were fully exhausting him. The weight of his thoughts disabled him and made Bill gradually slip the sheet onto the desk before him. He stared hollowly down at it.

Overall, it was common knowledge that Bill blamed the universe for his problems. Contrariwise, it was also possible that everything was unknowingly his fault. He always seemed to get himself into some sort of trouble, after all, so maybe he was just destined to carry out a semi crappy existence...

This was Bill's last thought, before the lone piece of white paper inexplicably shot out from under him and went flying towards the slightly cracked window beside him. Acting by his natural instinct, the gangly brunette shot forward in order to retrieve the sheet. His fingers grasped it just before the paper went flying out onto the streets of San Francisco, and he felt a small grin of triumph at his seemingly trivial rescue. Of course there were definitely plenty of other sheets in his stack of papers to choose from, but something had made him jump up to his feet in an attempt to save one. It was the same invisible something, an unknown force, which made him look up from the piece of paper and stare out the window, only to stop cold at what he saw.

Believe it or not, Bill could not be convinced of his luck. The idea was simply ironic, given the previous circumstances of that morning. For just across the street, a mere couple hundred feet away, in a room almost level to his own, was the same odd stranger that the man had met at the subway platform that morning...

And she was just as beautiful as she ever was.


End file.
